Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a separating vessel for use in a centrifugal separation of a liquid into fractions of different densities. It also relates to a separating centrifuge for the separation of a liquid into fractions of different densities, which centrifuge is provided with a separating vessel and a control means for controlling the separating process.
A centrifuge for handling of a liquid such as blood is disclosed in the CH-PS No. 547 662. This centrifuge comprises a hose, arranged in a rotor, in which hose the handling of the liquid, i.e. the blood, takes place, whereby means are provided for introducing the liquid to be handled and for discharging of the handled liquid, i.e. of the separated fractions. This hose extends within the rotor and is rotatably supported in the rotor for rotation about its own axis. Furthermore, there are provided braking devices acting such onto the hose that it rotates relative to the rotor about its own axis during the rotation of the rotor.
The drawback of this known centrifuge is that it cannot be used for a continuous plasmapheresis in vivo.
The DE-OS No. 23 54 368 discloses a centrifuge having a separating vessel including feed conduits and discharge conduits, which separating vessel is mounted within a rotor such that it rotates about a first axis. The separating vessel is rotatable furthermore about a second axis and in operation is surrounded by a sealing liquid, such that the centrifuge can operate without any mechanical rotational seals.
The disadvantage of this centrifuge is however that when feeding a liquid to be separated this liquid will be diluted and furthermore the exchanging of the separating vessel is a relatively complicated procedure.
A further separating centrifuge is disclosed in the DE-PS No. 28 48 953 which separating centrifuge comprises three rotors which rotate independently from each other, whereby the inner rotor is arranged for receiving a separating vessel.
This separating centrifuge features however the drawback, that due to the rather great number of rotating parts an alignment of the complete system is relatively difficult, that the mounting and dismounting of the utensils is extremely complicated and in that the inner rotor operates at an extremely high rotational speed such that large forces act onto the utensil in the outer rotor.